World War I

World War I

• Essential Questions1. What role did nationalism and imperialism play

in causing World War I?2. How did ethnic diversity in the Balkans

contribute to war?3. What impact did innovations in science and

technology have on World War I?

World War I

• As the 1900s began, the people of Europe had enjoyed nearly a century of peace

• Under the surface, forces were pushing the continent toward war

M.A.I.N.

• When trying to remember the causes of WWI, remember M.A.I.N.!–M for Militarism– A for Alliances– I for Imperialism– N for Nationalism

M.A.I.N.

• Militarism– The glorification of military power– Occurred in many European nations in the late

1800s– This development led to fear and suspicion as

nations became more willing to use military force to attain their national goals

– Arms race– Fiercest rivals were Germany and Great Britain

M.A.I.N.

• Alliance Systems– Increased tensions and suspicions led nations to

form alliances– Nations agreed to defend each other in case of an

attack– Triple Alliance and Triple Entente• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy• Great Britain, France, and Russia

M.A.I.N.

• Imperialism– Great Britain, France, Germany, and other nations

competed for colonies and economic power– France vs. Germany for Africa– Germany vs. Great Britain for industrialization– Great Britain and France become close because of

common enemy

M.A.I.N.

• Nationalism (Germany and France)– Nationalism was strong in both France and

Germany– Germany was unified and proud of its industrial

and military might– France was embarrassed in the Franco-Prussian

War in which it lost land to Germany– France wanted to regain its position as top dog in

Europe and take revenge on Germany

M.A.I.N.

• Nationalism (Pan-Slavism)– Russia encouraged Pan-Slavism– Russia was the largest Slavic country– Serbia and other small nations in the Balkans

identified as Slavic and wanted ties with Russia– The Austro-Hungarian empire discouraged these

ties

Other Causes• Decline of the Ottoman Empire– The Armenian Massacres• Distrust between Muslim Turks and Christian Armenians

– The Balkan Powder Keg• Serbia declared itself independent from the Ottoman

Empire in 1878• Tension between Serbia and the Ottomans grew as Serbia

sought to gain land from the Ottomans• In 1912, Serbia attacked the Ottoman Empire to gain

more land for access to the Adriatic Sea• On June 28, 1914, the Archduke and his wife were

assassinated which set off a chain reaction that led to war

World War I• The Outbreak of War

1. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the murders of the archduke and his wife and made harsh demands in Serbia

2. Serbia refused to comply with all of the demands3. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia July 284. Russia, a Slavic nation and friend of Serbia, mobilized its

forces in preparation for war5. Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary, declares war on

Russia6. Germany declared war on France, an ally of Russia7. Germany invaded Belgium on August 3, 1914, so that

German forces could enter France more easily8. Great Britain declared war on Germany

World War I: Who Was to Blame?

Who was to blame for World War I?

Russia• Supported Slavic people• Feared Austria-Hungary

wanted to rule Slavic people

Austria-Hungary• Blamed Serbia for

terrorism• Wanted to crush

Serbian nationalism

Germany• felt it must stand

behind its ally, Austria-Hungary

Great Britain• Felt a duty to protect Belgium• Feared power of Germany just

across English Channel

France• Backed Russia

• Felt it might someday need Russian support

against Germany

Central Powers vs. Allied Powers

• Central– Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman

Empire

• Allied – Great Britain, France, Russia– Later joined by Italy and the US

Battle Fronts

World War I• An Industrialized War– New technology made this war particularly destructive

and gory– Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867– Engine– Airplane– Communication

devices

World War I

• An Industrialized War– Trench Warfare• Heavy fighting took place along the Western Front, a

600-mile stretch from the English Channel to Switzerland• For four years the French, British, and German troops

gained very little ground but many soldiers were killed

Trench Warfare

German soldiers in a trench

Trench Warfare

Russian soldiers in a trench

Trench Warfare

British soldiers in trench at Battle of the Somme

Trench Warfare

World War I• Civilian Life and Total War– War fought at home and on the battlefield

referred to as a Total War• Governments created a draft• Governments raised taxes and borrowed money to pay

for war• Governments rationed or limited goods so military

could be provided for• Governments widely circulated propaganda• Women at home took jobs that men left behind

Technology Changes WarfareInvention Description Uses in World War IAutomatic Machine Gun

Mounted gun that fires a rapid continuous stream of bullets

Made it possible for a few gunners to mow down waves of soldiers

Tank Armored vehicle that travels on a track and can cross many kinds of land

Protected advancing troops as they broke through enemy defenses; Early tanks were slow and clumsy

Submarine Underwater ship that can launch torpedoes or guided underwater bombs

Used by Germany to destroy Allied ships; submarine attacks helped bring United States into war

Airplane One or two-seat propeller plane equipped with machine gun or bombs

At first, mainly used for observation; later, flying ‘aces’ engaged in air combat

Poison Gas; Gas Mask Gases that cause choking, blindness, or severe skin blisters; gas masks can protect soldiers from poison gas

Lobbed into enemy trenches, killing or disabling troops; gas masks lessened the importance of poison gas

World War I

• Turning Points in the War– The United States sold arms to the Allied forces

but remained neutral though 1916– In 1917, after repeated attacks by German U-boats

on US ships carrying civilians, the US entered the war

– The entry of the Americans helped the Allies win the war

– Why?

World War I

• Turning Points in the War– In Russia, morale was so low that a revolution

broke out in 1917– In 1918, the new leader in Russia signed a treaty

with Germany that took Russia out of the war

Costs of the War

• On November 11, 1918, an armistice was declared

• On June 28th 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was signed which officially ended the war

Costs of the War

• Human Casualties– 8.5 million killed– More than 27 million

wounded– Famine threatened many

regions– Disease was widespread

in many regions

• Economic Losses– Factories, farms, and

homes had been destroyed

– Nations had huge war debts to repay

– The Allies, bitter at the destruction, forced the Central Powers to make reparations